The George Washington University (GW) is pleased to announce that Sarah Doerrer PhD, OTR/L, CHT, CLT, will serve as an assistant professor of the GW Occupational Therapy (OT) program in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS). In this role, Dr. Doerrer will support the revolutionary vision and establishment of the new Entry-Level Occupational Therapy program. Shifting from adjunct professor to full-time assistant professor, Dr. Doerrer will develop courses that incorporate four curricular themes and meet the standards for accreditation.
“I strongly believe in the OT program that is being developed at GW. This program is innovative and will be groundbreaking and has the power to produce strong leaders in the OT profession. Students will experience occupational engagement within different communities and will be able to really see the power of occupational therapy from a unique lens,” said Dr. Doerrer.
Dr. Doerrer is a certified hand therapist and lymphedema therapist. Her clinical experience includes working with adults with physical disabilities in the practice areas of inpatient rehabilitation, acute care, home health, and outpatient rehabilitation. Dr. Doerrer completed a Masters in OT at Misericordia University and a PhD at Nova Southeastern University.
“We are thrilled that Dr. Doerrer has joined the OT program full-time. She is extremely knowledgeable in clinical practice, with over 21 years of experience, and has a strong background in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation. Key qualities that we looked for in this role included understanding the importance of advocacy, battling bias, and fighting for social and health equity. With her clinical research background, volunteer experience, and being a first generation student, we believe that she will convey the program’s mission and vision clearly to students. As we embark on this new trajectory for Occupational Therapy, we need a team that shares the same values and mission. I know that Sarah will make a strong addition.” said GW OT Program Director, Roger Ideishi, JD, OT/L, FAOTA.
Dr. Doerrer previously worked at Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine for 15 years. She used manual therapy, joint mobilizations, splinting, modalities, exercise, therapeutic activities, patient education, and neuro re-education to meet the specific needs of each patient. She also used outcome measures and discussed patient progress at each visit to ensure that all treatment was effective.
At GW, Dr. Doerrer previously taught graduate courses in the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy program and Doctor of Health Sciences program.She also taught in both the Masters in OT and COTA programs at Trinity Washington University and in the Masters in OT program at Shenandoah University.
“Dr. Doerrer has an ingrained belief to help others and the desire to influence the practice of OT. Her history with outcomes research, and her ability to listen to patients and improve their function after experiencing great injuries, makes her a great asset to the eOTD program. I look forward to working with Dr. Doerrer and I believe students will, too” said Lisa Bagby, OTD, OTR/L, MHA, assistant professor, academic fieldwork coordinator for occupational therapy.
Dr. Doerrer is a Research Division Member and Journal Club Chair of the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT), and received the ASHT Outstanding Service Award in 2021. She was also awarded the Burkhalter New Investigator Award from the American Hand Therapy Foundation. Doerrer is an active member and researcher that is currently writing a chapter for the book, Health System Management and Policy, and collaborating with the Arthritis Foundation to develop assessment tools for hand function that will later inform educational needs.
Dr. Doerrer began serving in this new role at GW in May 2022.
